


Alternative Methods

by shadow_prince



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Baby Harry, Everyone lives, Fluff, M/M, No war, Seriously call a dentist, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 06:02:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16235654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_prince/pseuds/shadow_prince
Summary: You'll be great with babies, Remus, Lily had said. You're the responsible one, Moony, James had insisted.But really, who thought it was a good idea to trust the werewolf with a baby?





	Alternative Methods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SlytherinSweetheart (Cherrypie62666)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrypie62666/gifts).



> "Moonbeam, I have a one shot prompt for you."
> 
> Here you are, love. Hope it lives up to your hopes. ~your Moonbeam

Bright fire danced merrily in the fire place, filling the room with warmth despite the snow steadily falling outside the window. Ordinarily, Remus would have been curled up on the sofa under a pile of blankets, nose buried in a book while he waited for Sirius to get home from work. They would argue over whose turn it was to cook dinner, realise there wasn't anything in the cupboards to cook anyway, then argue over where they were getting takeaway. Remus would wind him up until he pouted, because Sirius was always striking and gorgeous, but he was _adorable_ when he pouted and Remus would take _any_ opportunity to see it, even if he would never dream of admitting that he loved it. Then he would "cave" and allow Sirius to order whatever he wanted, knowing full well that Sirius would order food Remus loved and would be the one to venture back out into the cold weather to pick it up without even suggesting Remus do it, because Remus was in the middle of a chapter.

They had a _system_ and Remus loved that system and would always hold up the pretense of exasperation and "arguments" with Sirius because it kept things interesting. However, tonight was one of those few out of the ordinary evenings that changed their usual routine.

_**"Whaaaaaaaaa!!"** _

Remus flinched, Harry's wail piercing the air, his face screwed up in distress as fat tears rolled down his cheeks. Halfhearted and hopeless, Remus shook the muggle rattle again in a feeble attempt to distract the distraught baby.

_You'll be great with babies, Remus_ , Lily had said. _You're the responsible one, Moony_ , James had insisted. Remus had tried his hardest to argue with them. He didn't know the first thing about babies. He had never been around them before. Who left their baby with a werewolf? But it was all for naught, and he _did_ want to help his friends. The two hadn't been out alone together since Harry had been born 4 months before, but when he had suggested they take a night off and go on a date, this isn't how he had pictured it happening.

He lifted Harry and checked his diaper, but it was as clean as it had been the last four times he had checked. The baby gave a great hiccup, gasping for breath through his cries, his tiny fists flying and feet kicking. Struggling to hold him, Remus laid him back down and searched for the pacifier that had been thrown across the room some time earlier.

"Harryyyy," he cooed. "Harry, how about your binky, hmm?" Popping the pacifier in, Harry looked up at him with wide, tear filled and red rimmed eyes, sucking for two whole seconds before spitting it out and continuing his tantrum.

Not for the first, second, or third time that evening, Remus questioned the Potters' sanity. No, he questioned _Lily's_ sanity. He already knew James didn't really have any. Who left an infant with a werewolf? Remus had been an only child. Perhaps his parents would have had more children if they hadn't been preoccupied with his condition, but the fact remained that they hadn't. Not only that, but he had never really considered having children of his own, since, werewolf. All of this culminated to his current predicament of _what the hell do you do with a crying baby_.

Remus fisted his hands in his hair, frazzled and nervous. What did he do now? What if something was actually wrong? It wasn't as if Harry could tell him. He considered calling Lily on the mirror James always carried, but hesitated, not wanting to interrupt their night. _You can do this, Lupin. Pull yourself together._

The front door opened, followed by heavy boot falls. "Re, I'm home!" Sirius came into the sitting room moments later, shaking snow from his hair. "What's that- oh! That's right, we have little Haz tonight don't we?" His voice went from normal to cooing as the sentence went on. Crouching next to Remus where he was kneeling on the ground, Sirius scooped Harry from his cocoon of blankets and cradled him easily.

Remus watched in amazement as Sirius - boisterous, excitable, reckless Sirius - swayed his hips, treading softly around the room in stockinged feet. His voice was low, a jumble of unimportant hushed words.

It only took one lap around the small room for Harry to fall silent except for the occasional hiccup. Remus sat back on his heels, mouth slack, mesmerised by this version of his husband.

He was well acquainted with the mischievous boy who put all of his attention and sharp wit to use on elaborate pranks rather than classwork. The boy who loved his friends deeply and unwaveringly, who defended them more than he defended himself and would do anything to protect them. Who grew into the teen who became an illegal underaged animagus without any regard for his own health or wellbeing just to be with Remus during the full moon. The one who smoked, and fought, and drank, and laughed. Who stayed up too late, and flew too fast, and _tormented_ Remus' every dream when he let his hair grow too long.

He watched the way those lips whispered soothing words, the same lips that kissed him every morning, and every night, and frequently in the hours between. That had ghosted over every one of his scars and whispered soothing words against the silvery skin. Remus' heart felt too big, too heavy, too full, and suddenly it was entirely unacceptable that he wasn't kissing those lips.

Standing slowly, he crossed the room to where Sirius had stopped in front of the window, all angles and soft face against a backdrop of brightly falling snow. Resting his hands on those narrow hips that had swayed, rocking this precious child to sleep, he leaned over and kissed his husband. Everything he couldn't say, all of his love, gratitude, and amazement at the incredible man who completed him in a way he never thought he'd find, he poured into that single moment.

Sirius hummed contentedly, pleased. He rested his forehead against Remus'. "What did I do to deserve that?"

"You just amaze me. Every time I think I know everything there is to know about you, that I have you figured out, you go and blow my mind again."

"You're just saying that because it's quiet again," Sirius accused, playfully.

Lips twitched, threatening to smile. "It's worth the noise to see you do that."

"Perhaps we should have one, then," his voice was barely more than a murmur as he refused to look at Remus, eyes resolutely glued to the sleeping bundle in his arms, the tip of his finger stroking down Harry's nose.

Remus' breath caught in his throat, and suddenly it wasn't Harry in Sirius' arms, but _their_ child. _Their_ baby to rock to sleep, _their_ baby to change and care for and nurture. To raise together, to complete their family, to watch board the Hogwart's Express while they held hands on the platform. Once the idea was there, the possibility of something he had never dared to hope for, he couldn't shake the feeling of _yes, that's right, yes_ that was thrumming through his veins.

Clearing his throat, he tried to keep his voice light and playful, "I know that we have magic and all, but perhaps after 4 years of trying we should accept that our methods won't create a baby and look for an alternative method."

Grey eyes snapped up, wide as they scanned Remus' face, before narrowing accusingly. "Remus Lupin, was that a sex joke? And in front of Harry, too. He's young and impressionable, you know!"

Remus was still chuckling as their lips met again over the sleeping child, the kiss long and slow, with all the time in the world.


End file.
